Best Practices for Online Public Consultation in the Property Development Industry

7/27/2019 Best Practices for Online Public Consultation in the Property Development Industry

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Best Practices for Online Public

Consultation in the Property

Development Industry

Prepared by:

Maureen Mendoza | August 31, 2012


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Table of Contents1. Introduction .. 3

2. Public Consultation in the Property Development Industry ... 5

Fluid Roles of Industry Proponents .. 5Permit Seekers 5

Agenda Setters 5

Public Relations Managers . 5

Trust Builders 5

Competitors .. 6

Collaborators ... 6

Needs of Industry Proponents for Public Consultation .. 6

Meeting Development Permit Requirements . 6

Gathering Data That Guides EvidenceBased Decision Making . 6

Strategic Targeting Of and Notification To Community Residents . 7Having CostEffective Project Management & Consultation .. 7

Having a Sense of Consultation Control. 7

Meeting Project Deadlines .. 7

Negotiating and Practicing Balanced Consultation 8

Knowing Who They Consult With 8

Public Understanding .. 8

3. Adopting Online Technologies Barriers & Constraints . 9

Context Barriers .. 9

Citizen Backlash & Controversy... 9Meeting Specific Timelines ............... 9

Assuring Consultation Guides Decision Making . 10

Proponent Avoidance .. 10

Managing Information Delivery 10

Intercultural Participation & Accessibility Barriers . 10

Lack of Standardize Online Consultations Practices 10

Increasing and Promoting Authentic Consultation .. 11

Method Barriers .. 11Achieving Statistical Significance . 11

Complementing Existing Methods .. 11

Abuse of Online Consultation . 11

Ease of Adoption and Use . 12

Concern over Security & Moderation . 12

Easy Reporting .. 12

Going Beyond Social Media .... 12

Adopting Online/Offline Promotion Best Practices . 12


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4. Best Practices Adopting Online Consultation 13Add Online Consultation As Part of A Toolkit & Engagement Plan .. 13

Achieve Geographic Specificity............................. 13

Stay Competitive ................................................... 13

Start Early............................................................. 14

Find Fit & Determine Scale ............................................................... 15Determine Verification ............................................................................. 15

Communicate: Tell Your Story, Foster Conversations, Respond............... 14

Prioritize Moderation ............................................................................... 15

Integrate With Communication Outreach ................................................ 15

Provide Necessary Contacts & Documentation ........................................ 15

Innovate .................................................................................................... 16

Invest in Training ...................................................................................... 16

Establish Internal Standardization ............................................................ 16

Choose Platforms With Existing Consultation Reach ................................ 16

Consider Cost............................................................................................ 17Manage Expectations & Consultation Responsibilities ........................................ 17

Seek Industry Adoption ............................................................................. 17

Integrate with Existing Technologies . ...................................................... 17

Find it Easier, Not Harder......................................................................... 18

Manage Expertise Bias... 18

Concluding Remarks .. 19

Acknowledgements ...... 19

Appendix 1 Best Practices For Promoting your Topic .. 20

Appendix 2 Consultation Contacts ... 21


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1. IntroductionFor those in the property development industry, public consultation can be perceived as more

about holding consultation as a requirement a means to an end of a development permit

and/or project design process rather than addressing public skepticism, fostering inclusion, and

developing transparency. Increasingly, more attention and criticism is given to a developments

lack of public engagement than the actual consultation feedback itself and how it may guide

development. Indeed, on a larger scale, robust public engagement at all levels generally, and in

the property development industry in specific, can be seen as an indicator of democratic

legitimacy.

This report was written as a result of meeting with thirtytwo companies within the property

development industry. They included planning and environmental consultants, consulting

engineers, architects, and developers. The main goal of these meetings, conducted between

June August 2012, was to discuss current practices of online engagement and introduce

PlaceSpeak, a locationbased online consultation platform developed in Metro Vancouver.

Conversations with industry proponents brought into focus past challenges of adopting online

consultation methods, current initiatives being explored as well as future directions of the

industry with respect to online consultation. These meetings highlighted hesitations and

concerns with online consultation but also opportunities for and willingness to experiment with

online engagement in general and the potential for using PlaceSpeak in specific.

The goal of this qualitatively based report is threefold. First, to discuss the climate of public

consultation within the property development industry, its specific needs relative to other

consultation proponents, and how online consultation may meet those demands. Second, this

report aims to outline particular barriers to adopting online consultation and specific

opportunities that the industry can welcome in order to adopt online consultation as method of

citizen engagement. Lastly, this report recommends specific ways in which the property

development industry can support, adopt, and sustain online consultation into their current

and future work in light of PlaceSpeak.

Overall, this report contributes to a greater discussion of the changing character and quality of

online consultation, and offers the open challenge and invitation for proponents in the property

development industry to improve civic participation through technological innovation and

creativity.

This report is a result of a fourmonth long internship with PlaceSpeak, a geosocial online

consultation platform developed by New City Ventures as part of the MITACS Research

Accelerate Internship Program and as part of course requirements with the School of

Community and Regional Planning at the University of British Columbia.


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2.Public Consultation in the Property Development IndustryMeeting with principal architects and landscape architects, consulting engineers project

managers, planning consultants, business development directors, and community liaisons

across the property development industry, it is important to outline and understand how online

consultation fits into the context of the industry. This involves understanding the specific needs

and roles of the industry as it relates to public consultation and how the perception of those

roles affects consultation.

Fluid Roles of Industry Proponents

1. Development Permit & Area Amendment SeekersWorking within the framework of the approval process for development permits and/or

rezoning is a major focus for industry proponents, specifically developers, but not excluding

planning and environmental consultants, planners, architects, and consulting engineers who

may all be involved at varying levels of a project. This also applies for industry proponents

looking to amend area plans of a municipality as stated in their official community plan.

2. Agenda SettersProponents in the industry set the agenda of consultation in collaboration with

municipalities. They provide and ideally communicate alternatives for development to the

public. Developers and planners propose a new future for land, in concert with architects

and/or consulting engineers who propose their designs and structural expertise. Quite often

they are also seen as gatekeepers and key influencers with the most power in a consultationthat guide project outcomes and decisionmaking.

3. Public Relations ManagersUnderlying the consultation process is that the project can directly impact public perception

of the proponent. Because most proponents in the industry belong to the private sector,

public consultation is intrinsically tethered to the companys public relations, brand

management and tied to larger business plans for organizational growth. This is especially so

with contentious development that may drastically change the landscape of a specific

geography, or when development involving natural resources is concerned.

4. Trust BuildersIndustry proponents often do their work in communities with residents who are dissatisfied

and critical of the consultation process. They may have a distinct opinion perhaps in

opposition to the proponents even before consultation has begun. For this reason,


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proponents involved find themselves as trust and consensus builders, needing to convince

specific groups to come alongside development proposals while also dealing directly with

those in direct opposition.

5. CompetitorsThere is constant competition for project work between industry proponents. The RFP

process, particularly at the municipal and regional level is highly competitive with

proponents eager to learn of tools to give them the advantage to be selected.

6. CollaboratorsWhile they may be competitors in their industry, proponents are also colleagues who

collaborate on projects. Developers provide deep capital and investment into projects.

Architects must pose and answer designrelated questions. Planning consultants provide

context to how development may fit into larger context of official community or area plans.Environmental consultants consider the ecological implications of development. Consulting

engineers provide specific technical building science expertise. At any given stage, all can be

engaged in varying degrees within the public consultation process. Industry proponents also

heavily collaborate with municipalities, who often connect with and contract out to

consultants to conduct their public engagement outreach.

Needs of Industry Proponents for Public Consultation:

Those in the property development industry desire much out of the public process for one main

reason: to see a proposed project through to completion. Because of this overarching need,industry proponents have articulated specific requests to consider as they are assigned, plan,

and execute consultation efforts. In no particular order, these needs include:

1. Meeting Development Permit RequirementsIndustry Proponents need to follow the development permit process. This means meeting

the necessary public consultation requirements necessary as outlined in the Local

Government Act and/or community charters for official community plan amendments

concerning rezoning applications.

2. Gathering Data That Guides EvidenceBased Decision MakingQualitative and quantitative data is necessary for industry proponents given that evidence

based decision making is consistently desired. However, gathering concise, clear, and

verified data is a challenge, particularly authenticating that data to a geographic location.

The need for locationbased consultation verification and technology adds to proponents

ability to imagine and appreciate the value of information enhanced by specified location.


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To know where responses are coming from is becoming increasingly required. Further, data

grounded with analytics and demographics is highly valued, as proponents would like to

know that consultation respondents have viewed and processed information before they

have responded so that feedback is ideally educated and informed.

3. Strategic Targeting Of and Notification To Community ResidentsThe ability to target specific groups for consultation and to notify them of project

information is a key need for industry proponents. They would like to reach a silent majority

that are either busy or unable to attend open houses as well as to outreach to those who

want to participate but turned off by how public process is currently structured. Some view

this as a legislated obligation, while others an ethical requirement. Even though

municipalities take responsibility of the majority of public notification, they would also like

to independently notify residents, particularly for consultation meeting times, deadlines,

and to ask for feedback.

4. Having CostEffective Project Management & ConsultationIn responding to RFPs and in efforts to remain competitive in their field, costeffectiveness

is highly valued in the property development industry. Proponents must justify spending in

their public consultation plans, particularly when collaborating on public infrastructure

projects. That being said, some proponents are also willing to spend on marketing

initiatives to promote and sell their developments to their targeted markets and have large

budgets for public consultation.

5.

Having a Sense of Consultation Control

While the depth and length of consultation always varies, the need to have controlled

consultation is valuable for industry proponents. Whether it is the design, content,

notification, or information sharing, industry proponents desire control of the consultation

process. This includes the need to correct wrong information to residents, to control the

identity and branding of their company, as well as to know the identity of those they are

consulting with.

6. Meeting Project DeadlinesOn one hand, consultations can be time sensitive and proponents work hard under pressure

to meet deadlines, sometimes at the expense of insufficient public consultation. On the

other hand, the development permit process can also be lengthy and projects must go

through multiple design iterations and public consultation phases to be approved. Finding

the appropriate and sufficient amount of consultation is needed.


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7. Negotiating and Practicing Balanced ConsultationIndustry proponents struggle to have balanced consultation on many levels: consultation

must be inclusive and but often also specific and targeted; it must be timely to meet

deadlines but provide enough time for sufficient feedback; it must be transparent but also

foster and provide the publics desire for anonymity and privacy. This balancing act canmake public consultation a complex process for industry proponents.

8. Knowing Who They Consult WithProponents value nonanonymity. They would like to know demographics and location of

people they consult with to add assurance that they are consulting with people directly

affected by their proposed development.

9. Public Understanding

Industry proponents often referenced frustration with the publics perception of their

power, what is in their jurisdiction, what is in the jurisdiction of the municipality, or when

developer consultation is handed over to the municipality after approval of a rezoning

application. Whether the consultation is a developer or city issue is sometimes

confusing. During public consultation, industry proponents desire to better inform the

public of their role in the consultation and the extent to which consultation can or will be

decided by council.


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3.Adopting Online Technologies Barriers & ConstraintsSeveral main barriers to adopting online consultation methods became evident in proponent

meetings. These barriers can be divided into two main categories, with obvious overlap

between each. These include:

a) Context Barriers in the current industry environment that dissuade proponents and

b) Method Barriers inherent to public consultation specifically relating to online factors

Context Barriers

1. Citizen Backlash & ControversyThe possibility of online consultation being yet another avenue to drive project backlash and

opposition to a project particularly when it is at a crucial point of the process causes much

uneasiness for industry proponents. This is less of a concern for developments that are

publically uncontested, but especially so in controversial applications where there is a high level

of risk for the proponent that their proposal could be rejected or subject to major changes.

Proponents constantly have to manage contentious relationships where roles are established

they must defend a proposal while citizens attempt to protect a certain place. The process

can be exhausting and daunting, and can often feel uncertain. Industry proponents must

accommodate changes, while dealing in environments where the public may fear and oppose

change. Proponents must also accept consultation results that may not be in favour of the

proposal or when discovering results do not align with vocal special interest groups.

When facing such a barrier, it may be difficult for an industry proponent to want to include

online consultation as yet another avenue that opposition and misinformation can proliferate if

the discussion is not controlled.

2. Meeting Specific TimelinesBecause consultations are time sensitive, industry proponents may feel rushed to complete the

required public consultation component and do not want to deal with setting up online

consultation. In this case, it is much easier to strictly adhere to traditional methods such as

open houses and surveys because they are assured methods. Further, a drawn out

development permit process may be costly. For example, a developer pays monthly fees on the

landoption of their proposal site so there is an incentive for short consultation. The

development approval process can last upward to two years, but assuring good consultation

may take longer.


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3. Assuring Consultation Guides Decision Making

Industry proponents may experience lack of consultation participation because citizens feel

that their input will not make a difference in outcome and that important decisions have been

and will be made regardless of their opinion. In order to proceed with adopting online

consultation, proponents must increasingly demonstrate that information gathered inconsultation both on and offline is first acknowledged and then incorporated into decision

making or, if not, provide justification for why.

4. Proponent Avoidance

Citizens are not the only ones wary of the consultation process. Industry proponents sometimes

admit to not wanting to take on consultation because the process can quickly become

polarized. Some admittedly send more junior staff to run consultation. Proponents have largely

remained wary of online communication because of a websites propensity towards anonymity,

as respondents can provide feedback but while still remaining anonymous.

5. Managing Information Delivery

Industry proponents relayed that communication outreach is sometimes insufficient even when

a specific group is targeted. They have expressed a lack of standardized communication to

continuously and regularly interact with citizen groups on and offline to promote informed

awareness. Particularly online, proponents have extensive contact lists, but would like a

automized means by which citizens can be repeatedly notified about upcoming consultations,

its progress, or updates on outcomes besides email and social media.

6. Intercultural Participation & Accessibility Barriers

A lack of diversity often plagues industry proponents. Language and accessibility issues are also

cited as major concerns, preventing distinct groups and people in communities and

municipalities from full participation from which proponents would like to hear. Also, certain

groups who do not come from a cultural environment where public consultation is the norm

may not readily participate. In the context of online consultation, proponents worry that the

digital divide will withhold particular voices or bias participation towards younger and more

digitally literate groups, but this becomes mitigated as elderly and lowincome populations

two main groups of concern have increasing access.

7. Lack of Standardized Online Consultations PracticesFor the most part, industry proponents experimentation with online consultation has been

voluntary and completely up to industry leaders to set precedents and chart new online

territory with their engagement practices. Online consultation is not required; however, the

demand is growing as municipalities are beginning to list online engagement as requirements

on RFPs. Because of this, industry proponents may use online engagement to remain


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competitive against other bidders on proposals. The lack of standardization leaves industry

proponents solely responsible for taking up online consultation methods, having no initial

incentive to do so besides the hope that they are staying ahead of the curve.

8. Increasing and Promoting Authentic ConsultationProponents acknowledge that consultation may not see as real or legitimate by the public.

Consultation tools can facilitate open engagement, but the acknowledgement of larger issues

that plague public participation must also be understood by proponents in order to recognize

the full potential for online consultation to change discussion and the consultation landscape,

not merely facilitate the same discussion in a different format.

Method Barriers

1. Achieving Statistical Significance

Proponents are concerned that information received from online consultation, such as results

from surveys, polls, or even discussion forums cannot be or are not as statistically significant as

other methods of engagement particularly because participants are selfselected and optin to

participation and not randomly selected. However, proponents do recognize that some voices

are inherently louder than others both online and offline and no matter the means, those

who want to be heard will find a way to do so. Arguments can also be made for inperson

consultation methods where citizens always have a choice to attend and/or participate.

2. Complementing Existing Methods

Industry proponents may not understand that online consultation is meant to complement not

replace existing methods of consultation. Industry proponents still express a desire for faceto

face contact to see the whites of one anothers eyes. Many industry proponents may be hired

or hire others to facilitate public consultation and concern over how certain jobs in the industry

(ie. event facilitators) may feel threatened or unsure of how their position now fits into the

consultation spectrum. It should be clear that open houses, public meetings, doortodoor

outreach are all still methods for engagement that can, should and will be conducted.

3. Abuse of Online ConsultationFor industry proponents who have been early adopters of online consultation, they haveencountered problems and learned important lessons that have shaped their desires for future

use of online platforms. As with any new technology, online engagement can be seen as a big

change and for many early adopters, attempts at online consultation have been problematic or

less successful because there has been no rigour around authenticating citizens to place,

resulting in troll attacks. A secure platform is extremely valuable for industry proponents.


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4. Ease of Adoption and Use

Industry proponents are in search of online engagement platforms with interfaces that will

make their jobs easier not harder. If platforms are not intuitive, requiring a steep learning curve

and extra time, proponents will have a hard time justifying online engagement. This includes

payment, setup of consultation and moderation. Some industry proponents admit consultationis not their forte, and that online consultation is a new method in a wider process that may be

uncomfortable but necessary and thus must be guided and supported if they are to become

early adopters of online practices.

5. Concerns Over Security & Moderation

The anticipated time needed to moderate online content concerns industry proponents. They

do not want to spend significant portions of their day managing, responding, or even blocking

respondents due to bad online behavior. Similarly, they do not want to be constantly notified of

every single response in real time, especially if the consultation receives a lot of feedback. Thisties back to overall security concerns that for the most part, anyone can participate, lending to

the suggestion that authenticated online participation is increasingly necessary and valuable.

6. Easy Reporting

Industry proponents are also very eager to know how they will receive data from online

consultation and how information will be segmented and if raw data can be easily analyzed to

produce their reports. Past use of online engagement has indicated they are apt to use

platforms that make their analysis as easy as possible.

7. Going Beyond Social Media

Most proponents acknowledge the ubiquity of social media. However, most forms of social

media focus more on information and service delivery (ie. brand to consumer) and less on

technology fostering civic participation. Industry proponents are beginning to recognize the

potential for social media not only to propel their branding and corporate communication, but

how it can be incorporated as part of the jobs they do and projects they develop. In order to

gain better response rates, industry proponents understand that they must not only look to

common social media outlets (ie. Facebook & Twitter) but also platforms that can do more than

just communicate information to which Followers can respond.

8. Adopting Online/Offline Promotion Best Practices:

A barrier to adopting online engagement is the inability to effectively advertise the consultation

to the general public, much like recruiting residents to attend open houses. Having the online

tool is not enough; offline efforts must accompany online consultation. Proponents have

expressed that expectations should be managed around response rates, and that a variety of

offline factors can influence the success of an online consultation.


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4. Best Practices For Adopting Online Consultation

Based on the specific roles and needs of industry proponents, and the context and method

barriers in which they carry out their work, the following are specific recommendations in

adopting online consultation. Contrasting these recommendations when applicable is how the

PlaceSpeak platform meets industry demands.

1. Add Online Consultation As Part of A Toolkit & Engagement PlanFirst and foremost, to adopt online consultation, industry proponents should acknowledge that

it is only one method in a host of possible tools. Understanding online consultation is not meant

to replace traditional methods is important and key when developing engagement plans to

determine suitability of online engagement and at what stage of outreach it will be used.

2. Achieve Geographic SpecificityHerbert Kubicek wrote in 2007, As urban planning to a large extent

consists of information with some spatial relation, it is important to link

and integrate the participation tools with geographical information

systems (GIS) providing the reference points for the consultation.1

Five

years later, the kind of geobased civic technology Kubicek proposed is just

beginning to catch on. It is clear that industry proponents both need and

want a geobased online consultation platform that links respondents to

their place. Find a platform that can authenticate users and their locations

instead of allowing them to remain anonymous.

3. Stay CompetitiveInclude Online Consultation in RFPs where the nature of the project fits well. This signals to

municipalities who are also recognizing the value of online consultation that you are willing

to explore new methods. Cultivate collaboration with a municipality who can support your

adoption of civic technology, particularly when responding to RFPs. For municipalities, this will

add incentive to standardize online consultation as part of their various planning and

development processes already in place. Lastly, take advantage of any Open Data strategies

that a municipality or government body is implementing

1Electronic Democracy and Deliberative Consultation on Urban Projects: Putting EDemocracy into Context,

prepared by Prof. Dr. Herbert Kubicek, University of Bremen, Germany, October 2007, pg. 13.

PlaceSpeak authenticates

users to place through geo

verification, requiring users

to provide an address of

where they either live, work

or play.


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4. Start EarlyIn order to implement online consultation, it is best to start online consultation at the earliest

stages of project development, aiming for project and proponent transparency. This would

mean including an online consultation component in the RFP proposal, regardless of whether or

not the RFP has indicated it as a requirement, and then hosting online discussions throughproject visioning, development permit approval process, and perhaps even during project

building and completion.

5. Find Fit & Determine ScaleWhile every consultation can be online, some are more suitable than

others and like any other consultation method, it is important to determine

the appropriate applications. Some consultations can begin closed with a

specific group of contacts and stakeholders before becoming open to the

public. Find a platform that can allow and restrict participants according toconsultation needs. This includes the geographic scale will consultation

be regional, in a municipality, in particular neighbourhoods, specific

organizations and interest groups, or a specific strata? The better

consultation platform will be able to cater to these various levels of

consultation.

6. Determine VerificationIt is important to establish how to authenticate users is it by address,

property assessment number, student or employee number? Online tools

can be developed to add verification layers besides a postal code or email address. Determine what level of the consultation citizen anonymity

is comfortable for your consultation if any level at all and build

verification layers from there.

7. Communicate: Tell Your Story, Foster Conversations, RespondThe best online consultation is when stories are told well, and that citizens

can respond and share their stories, too. Use online consultation to

communicate communicate project details, timelines, events, survey

questions, discussion boards, how citizens can be involved to enhancetwoway communication between proponent and citizen and between

citizens as well.

PlaceSpeak requires

proponents to outline a

consultations geographic

boundaries and can limit

participants to thoseboundaries as small or as

large as required.

PlaceSpeaks platform hostsdiscussion forums, polls and

surveys, notice boards and

has a notification system.

PlaceSpeak verifies all its

users and can vet toproponents that they are

who they say they are and

live where they say they live


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Telling the story, fostering conversations, and responding can be effective by:

Remembering it doesnt always have to be with words pictures and videos can beequally if not more effective particularly online;

Asking specific questions rather than blank comment feedback boxes; Keeping respondents uptodate and in the loop at all levels of the project from start

to finish;

Incorporating continuous and regular feedback in order to develop and maintainonline relationships to citizens. It will help to keep them informed and hopefully

engaged throughout the development process.

Proponents should choose a platform that provides multiple alternatives to make this

communication easy depending on target groups and project needs.

8. Prioritize ModerationIt is important to establish from the beginning of the consultation how

content will be moderated and who is responsible for doing so. Will

discussion boards be allowed? If so, who will moderate entries and how

often? Will respondents be able to upload their own documents, or will

online consultation be used to provide information more than to drive

feedback? Determine who will be in charge and what is expected of their

moderation will moderators respond back to all questions; if not, which

ones? Proponents should choose a platform that provides the most

control of moderation settings, including when they want to be notified.

9. Integrate With Communication Outreach2Driving citizens to online consultation is all about providing multiple points

of connectedness. The tool is only as good as effective marketing of a

consultation. Taking advantage of commonly used social media & the

social graph is a start. Proponents should use Facebook, Twitter, and

existing blogs to link to a consultation. If a project has its own website, find

ways to integrate consultation to the website as well. It would serve

proponents well to print the consultations web address on all promotional

print material and if possible put out press releases and gain media coverage.

10.Provide Necessary Contacts & DocumentationBecause it is online, citizens should be able to search and find the basic information they would

need from a consultation, particularly the projects primary contact. Proponents should provide

a the name, number and email address of a project contact to help assure respondents online

2For a more extensive Best Practices For Promoting Your Topic refer to Appendix A.

PlaceSpeaks offers

proponents controlled

moderation and the ability

to block users. All users

Name and Location are

known to the proponent.

PlaceSpeaks provides all

proponents Best Practices

For Promoting Your Topic

guide outlining online and

offline practices directing

citizens to consultation

page.


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that there is still a person and team behind the consultation. While the most important ideas

should be communicated visually on the consultation site, additional documents such as council

minutes, original poster boards, or Powerpoint presentations should also be uploaded. Copies

of online surveys should also be made available for download in the chance that a visitor to the

online consultation would like to print and mail a survey instead of filling it out online.

11.InnovateExplore how online consultations can fit into existing outreach model as

well as how you can create new engagement methods. Can a virtual open

house be held at the same time as an inperson open house by streaming

video? Can openchat hours where at settimes, a project team can

answer questions posed by residents online? What are the opportunities

for online recruitment for inperson consultation meetings? Dont be

afraid to push the boundaries of what can be done online by outlining

distinct needs and then asking how online consultation can help.

12.Invest in TrainingAs online engagement is still new and there are early adopters in the property development

industry, there may or may not be inhouse capability to setup a consultation. It is wise for

proponents to invest in training as they would in any other facilitation process. Make sure that

all administrators and moderates of a consultation are properly trained on the platform and

common practices are established (ie. moderating schedules; updating and notification

responsibilities). Choose a platform provider that assures good support, setup options, and

that understands proponents may want to experiment, but may not yet be comfortable in

doing it all on their own.

13.Establish Internal StandardizationUntil standardization across the industry occurs, establishing an internal protocol for online

consultation within an organization is a good idea, particularly in organizations that carryout

multiple consultations and across multiple departments. Proponents can choose a preferred

platform and establish internal directions to setup consultation when a project manager wants

to use online engagement. Depending on the size of the organization, it is also important to

determine who has the authority to approve online consultations and make it clear to all

departments and relevant staff.

14.Choose Platforms With Existing Consultation ReachWhen considering online platforms, choose a platform that may already have

access to citizens interested in your consultation topic. This is particularly

important in outreach efforts, but not always necessary, especially in

environments where little to no online consultation has occurred.

PlaceSpeaks platform is

consultation bank wher

users can be repeatedly

notified of consultation

they become created.

PlaceSpeaks is open to

develop new consultation

features on its platform

depending on a proponen

needs. New platform

developments are release

weekly.


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15.Consider CostYour budget will range according to project, and particularly if you reply to

a municipalitys specific RFP. However, it is always important to stay on

budget no matter how small or large the consultation. Therefore,

choose a platform that will quote you costeffect options that havesufficient services for your needs. Generally taking a consultation online

can be costeffective, particularly in contrast to methods used to

require random sampling such as doortodoor, phone, or even mailers.

16.Manage Expectations & Consultation ResponsibilitiesIf it is a proponents first online consultation, managing expectations from the beginning is

crucial, particularly when working as a consultant for a department in a municipality, or a large

organization like a transit authority or regional administration body. If possible, proponents

should work with the communication team to make use of their wide outreach network.Establish if municipal contact will be publicized on the online consultation site. Further, decide

if the municipality or the industry consultant will moderate discussion. By sorting out roles and

responsibilities for the consultation, both municipality and industry consultant will have a more

standardized procedure, even if the method is new for both parties.

17.Seek Industry AdoptionAs more industry proponents begin to see value in and use online technologies, it will become

common and perhaps a best practice for respective fields. In addition to creating

standardization internally and through requirements by municipalities through RFPs, industry

proponents can also be guided into adopting online consultation by their professionalregulatory body. For respective industries, this advocacy can come from the following:

Developers: Urban Land Institute and its provincial and regional chapters; Architects: The Architectural Institute of Canada and its provincial and regional chapters; Planners: the Canadian Institute of Planners and its provincial and regional chapters; Consulting Engineers: the Association of Professional Engineers and its provincial and

regional chapters;

Environment Industry Associations varied by province.18.Integrate with Existing Technologies

Many proponents will have already invested in certain digital

infrastructure and consultation services, like particular survey

instruments (ie. Survey Monkey). It will be important for proponents to

find a platform that can make use of such investments through

integration.

PlaceSpeaks pricing is

customizable with monthlyand annual packages.

Additional consulting is

available for setup and

moderation if needed.

PlaceSpeak has developed

iFrame widgets for easy

website integration. It also

has developed its API to

connect with other services

that want PlaceSpeaks geo

authentication.


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19. Find it Easier, Not HarderA good consultation platform should make consultation easier, not harder. This means finding a

platform that has an interface that is intuitive for both the proponent and a citizen when they

arrive at the consultation site. Do not underestimate the usability and experience of the online

platform because if it is difficult for a proponent to navigate it, citizens will be equallydissatisfied.

20.Managing Expertise BiasThe expertise of professionals in the property development industry can sometimes override

public interest with the sentiment that the general public does not know whats best for them.

As with any other form of consultation, industry proponents should avoid this mentality and

approach online consultation with an open mind to the capabilities of soliciting and

empowering the citizen voice.


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Concluding Remarks

This report sought to outline the distinct context in which proponents of the property

development industry conduct their public consultation and the contextual barriers and

methodological constraints they may face. However, as Section 4 of this report discusses, there

are clear opportunities to structure and standardize online consultation, despite initial

hesitations and concerns.

Not only does online consultation bring another method to meet engagement requirements of

development, it also ushers renewed possibility for engagement with and between people who

have been jaded by the consultation process or who may not participate otherwise because of

their busy schedules and the dissatisfaction with how consultation is currently carried out. Early

adopters have influenced and are changing multiple industries and how they consult online.

The promise and potential of online consultation has been hopeful but still full of undiscovered

opportunity. Early adopters have experienced growing pains largely from accepting andreceiving anonymous consultation. It is only by trying that the ability to find out what works

best, for whom and in what circumstance can be discovered and practiced.

Acknowledgements

Thank you to those who provided opportunity for this research and support in writing this

paper:

Colleen Hardwick, PlaceSpeaks Founder and CEO for her commitment to advancingonline public consultation and her support for me as a summer intern at New CityVentures;

Penny Gurstein, for being my supervising professor at UBCs School of Community andRegional Planning;

Renate Bublick, for her structured guidance in proponent outreach and duringconsultation meetings;

Yuri Artibise, for his research assistance and ideas to expand community engagement; The PlaceSpeak team for their general support; Finally, MITACS and their Research Accelerate program for facilitating student

opportunities for research and innovation.


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Appendix 1 Best Practices For Promoting your TopicPrepared by Yuri Artibise, Director of Community Engagement at PlaceSpeak

It is important to use a mixture of on and offline methods to spread the word about your topic

and encourage participants to connect to it.

Online Promotion: These online tactics will help broaden your engagement experience:

Place a prominent link to your consultation site on your organizations website. This willdrive around 1/3rd of your traffic.

A Customized and easy to remember vanity web address is especially important if youwill be doing offline promotion or holding public meetings. Direct links can account for

around another 1/3rd of your total traffic.

To ensure your topic is easily found by search engines use appropriate keywords in yourtopic title, abstract and description. For help determining the best keywords to use,

Google offers a popular keyword search tool. Also consider embedding links to related

website in your description text. Search engines are responsible for approximately 25%

of topic page traffic.

Links in emails are another effective way of driving people to your topic page. Send outan email invitation to your key stakeholders and target audiences letting them know

about the project. Make sure the link to your topic web page is prominently displayed in

your email. Ask them to forward on the email to their friends and family. This will

provide between 5 and 10% of your traffic.

Email your staff and let them know about the project as well. Again, ask them toforward on the email to their friends and family.

Let the broader community know about your topic through social networks. Promotethe topic sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. In addition to simply posting the

topic web address, ask engaging questions or including interesting information. This will

provide the final 5 to 10% of your traffic.

Offline Promotion

Integrate your online process with other traditional engagement methods, including:

Distribute a traditional media release with a catchy headline to your local media outlets.Be sure to include your topic page web address. Follow up with a telephone call to key

media contacts. To get additional mileage from the release, post an edited version on

your website and share the link on your social profile.

Submit an opinion/editorial piece to your local newspaper. Many communitynewspapers are eager for content, and the oped page is one of the most read news

section. Be sure to mention the topic web address.

Appear on local radio and TV shows to discuss your topic. Be sure to mention the


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specific topic web address. If your issue is regional in scope try to get on regional

TV. Many stations set aside time for community affairs segments.

Ensure your topic web address is prominent in any project collateral you produce., suchas flyers, mailers, newsletters, and posters. This is especially important if you will be

holding public meetings.

Prepare and distribute postcards with the web address prominently displayed at publicevents, and in public places such as local retailers, community centres. libraries, transit

centres, and other places that people meet in your community.

Following even a few of these steps will help increase traffic to your topic pageand ultimately

participation in your consultationconsiderably.


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Appendix 2 Consultation Contacts

Architecture & Landscape ArchitectureBruce Carscadden Architects | Bruce Carscaden, Glen Stokes, Ian McDonaldCBA | Catherine Berris, Bill GushueDYS Architecture | Norm Chin, Glenn Gardner, Terry YenHughes Condon Marler Architects | Darryl CondonJames K. Cheng Architects | Don Chan, Winston Chong, Yuhua Yang Karl Gustavson Architect |Karl GustavsonNeale Staniszkis Doll Adams Architects | Larry AdamsPhilips Farevaag Smallernberg | Marta FarevaagPublic Design| Jessica LumPWL Partnership Landscape Architects | Grant Brumpton, Derek LeeVan der Zalm & Associates | Mark van der Zalm, Jacqueline Lowe, Raj Singh ZAS Architects | Matt Hessey, Leigh Collyer

Planning

Dovetail Consulting | Julie GardnerDunefield Consulting | Wilco van Bemmel InterVISTAS | Sam Sugita, Diego Leon ChiMetro Vancouver | Theresa HardingMVH Urban Design & Planning | Michael von HausenPacific Land Group | Laura JonesSocial Planning and Research Council of BC | Scott GrahamUrban Analytics | Michael Ferreira, Jon BennestUrbanics | Abhishek Mamgain, Yean Sian, Claire McQuarrie

Engineering & Environmental ConsultantsAECOM | Jonathan TinneyAssociated Engineering | Sid SmithQuadra Planning Consultants || Michael McPheeSummit Environmental | Kathy Porter, Sid KwakkelTera Environmental Consultants | Katie McKinnon, Dave SareTetra Tech [EBA] | Adolfo Majano, Stephen Gardner, Mark Merlo

DevelopmentAragon | David RoppelEmerson Real Estate Group | Ron EmersonTownline Group | Tim YeungWesbild | Jen AbyshireWesgroup | John Conicella, Amanda McDougall


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Best Practices for Online Public Consultation in the Property Development Industry

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